For the past several weeks, Jacob Fatu has been in a fierce battle with Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He has made Reigns extremely mad for a huge reason. While he was only attacked with words, he used the Tongan Death Grip to make his points.
The move has been reserved only as a last resort in desperate situations, which is why his use of it was so controversial. He lost at Backlash, but launched an attack afterward that all but guaranteed another meeting with Reigns.
The two men faced off in Tribal Combat at Clash in Italy, where he lost once again. On the June 1, 2026 episode of Monday Night Raw, he delivered on a promise made before the match on Sunday.
He acknowledged Reigns, joining forces with him and the Usos, making their group even stronger than it was. But is this an actual acknowledgment by Fatu, or is this just the first step in another attempt at becoming champion?
Jacob Fatu Looks to Roman Reigns for Protection Against MFT
As the World Heavyweight Champion, Reigns is once again at the top of the mountain. He gets the best competitors to face off against, and if he wins, he gets to claim that he beats them. Fatu tried to beat him twice, but couldn’t do so. Now he willingly joined him and the Usos for the first time. It might be a trick on his part, but there’s some strong opposition on the other side. After the match on Sunday, MFT made their way ringside and stared at them.
Solo Sikoa, Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga have a lot of experience with Fatu. He made his debut joining them two years ago, leaving last summer by betraying Sikoa at Money in the Bank. There’s no question there’s still bad blood between them. Joining with Reigns provides a security blanket in case things get messy. He doesn’t have to fight them alone; instead, he unites with three real-life family members who have his back.
He Wants Reigns to Let His Guard Down Before Attacking
There’s no question that Fatu does what he wants when he wants. He’s also not afraid to betray his own family if things aren’t going his way. He didn’t just randomly cost Sikoa the Money in the Bank briefcase. There were weeks of tension building up to that moment. Now he’s joining up with the other side of the family, something many people find shocking. Jey and Jimmy might be willing to take Reigns’ orders, but Fatu isn’t like them.
That’s why this acknowledgment could be a trick to get a final match with Reigns. Saying no to him would’ve meant more punishment and a definite third match. But a betrayal when Reigns fully trusts him will be a much smarter decision. He’ll think that he has him wrapped around his finger like he does the Usos, but the turn will come to him as a surprise. Doing that might be the key for Fatu to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion finally.
The Following Weeks Will Prove if the Acknowledgement is Real
With SummerSlam two months away, there’s still a lot of time for Reigns to get an opponent. He could face the winner of the men’s King of the Ring tournament. Someone else could make their presence known by confronting him. But all of that depends on the true feelings of Fatu and how MFT is factored in to the next couple of weeks. Were they just there to warn him about being in Reigns’ close circle, or do they want more revenge on him?
Sikoa has a long history with Reigns, as they fought for the Ula Fala and the title of Tribal Chief. Even if nothing else will come of that brief staredown, no one really knows Fatu’s true feelings. Does he honestly believe things are good between him and Reigns, or is this a way to get to him without any punishment beforehand? No matter what happens, it’ll be interesting to watch what Fatu does over the next few weeks.
